Unexpected method of fighting liver cancer discovered

Atorvastatin drug for lowering cholesterol increases the effectiveness of liver cancer treatment. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed). The results of their work were published in the Journal of Hepatology (JHepa).

Liver cancer is one of the deadliest oncological diseases: it is often detected at late stages when surgical intervention is no longer possible. The prognosis for treatment is particularly poor in patients with metabolically associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD), caused by a high-fat diet.

Experiments on mice have shown that atorvastatin can block the mevalonate pathway - a metabolic mechanism that allows tumor cells to avoid programmed death. This pathway is particularly active in liver cancer associated with fatty liver disease.

In addition, scientists have found that combining atorvastatin with existing treatment methods significantly enhances their effect. The drug itself slowed tumor growth by 33%. When combined with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, tumor mass decreased by 45%, and with the drug lenvatinib - by 58%.

According to researchers, this approach can significantly increase the effectiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma treatment and change the prognosis for patients with liver cancer associated with fatty liver disease, the prevalence of which continues to grow worldwide.